Suction device

ABSTRACT

A suction device in the shape of an easily handled pen-shaped tool for collecting and keeping small particles and other objects. The suction is generated by an ejector comprised in the tool. The suction is started by closing an outflow opening for air under pressure supplied to the tool said closing bringing about the opening of a valve through the displacement of a piston, said valve and said piston being located in a common cylindrical chamber.

United States Patent [19] Tell [ 1 Oct. 2, 1973 SUCTION DEVICE [75] Inventor: Peter Tell, Akersberga, Sweden [73] Assignee: Aktiebolaget Piab, Danderyd,

Sweden [22] Filed: Mar. 10, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 122,984

3,516,405 6/1970 Hopper 417/187 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,090,670 10/1954 France 91/47 Primary ExarninerWilliam l. Price Assistant Examiner-C. K. Moore AttorneySilverman & Cass [57] ABSTRACT A suction device in the shape of an easily handled penshaped tool for collecting and keeping small particles and other objects. The suction is generated by an ejector comprised in the tool. The suction is started by closing an outflow opening for air under pressure supplied to the tool said closing bringing about the opening of a valve through the displacement ofa piston,'said valve and said piston being located in a common cylindrical chamber.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDBBT ems Fig.3

INVENTOR: PE TE R TEL. 1..

ATTOR NEIS.

SUCTION DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Small suction devicesfor removing and collecting or picking up and keeping small particles and other objects, in which the suction is generated either by connecting said device to a source of vacuum or by an ejector, which is connected to a source of air pressure, are already known. In said known devices there is, however, a valve for controlling the suction and an outer control member for said valve. There is a problem of sealing the valve spindle connecting said control member to said valve without sacrificing the easy movability of said valve which is necessary for the handling of the tool. It is an object of the present invention to avoid said problem.

SHORT SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a suction device provided with an ejector for generating suction by means of air pressure and with a collecting container connected to a suction channel of said ejector, the suction device having a suction nozzle and a valve which controls the air pressure to the ejector and is adjustable by means of a piston, said piston being movable under the influence of air pressure, which is adjustable by varying the area of an outflow opening in a branch conduit.

The invention is mainly characterized by the fact that the piston and the valve are located in a common cylindrical chamber in which the air pressure is substantially uniform when the valve is open, whereby no tight seal for a piston rod between the valve and the piston is required.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the air conduits in the suction device according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section through a part comprised in the suction device, the visible details of which only are shown.

FIG. 3 is an outer view of the device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ONE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION According to FIG. 1, a source of air under pressure (not shown) is connected to a flexible tube 1 which in turn is connected to an inlet channel 2 which opens into a valve chamber 3. Said chamber 3 is a part of a cylindrical chamber 4 by means of an opening through a valve seat 6. Said opening can be opened or closed by means of a valve member 5 which has an annular flexible packing round it. The valve member 5 is connected by means of a piston rod 7 to a piston 8 which is displaceable in the cylindrical chamber 4 and provided with annular packings for sealing. A branch conduit 9 is connected to the cylindrical chamber 4 between the opening of the inlet channel 2 and a part 4' of said chamber located. at one side of the piston 8. Said branch conduit 9 is provided with a screw throttle 10 for adjustment of the cross sectional area of said branch conduit and downstreams of said throttle with an outlet opening 11.

From the cylindrical chamber 4 a channel 12 leads to a nozzle 13 which supplies air to a venturi nozzle 14 which opens to the free air. A suction channel 15 is connected to the ejector 13,14 and opens into a con tainer 16 of transparent material which is provided with a filter 17, preferably of sintered bronze. The container 16 is provided with a nozzle 18 which has a spout. Said nozzle or said spout may be exchangeable so that straight nozzles or bent nozzles may be attached to the container.

In operation, air under pressure is supplied through the bendable hose 1 and is streaming into the inner channel 2 and the branch conduit 9. Through suitable adjustment of the throttle screw 10 the air pressure in the parts 3 and 4' of the cylindrical chamber 4 may be so adjusted in relation to each other, that the valve unit 5,7,8 will be kept in the position shown in FIG. 1 in which the valve 5 is in closing position, and air under pressure in the channel 2 and the branch channel 9 streams out of the opening 11 as a weak air stream. Now, if said opening 11 is closed for example by pressing the thumb against it, the pressure in the branch conduit 9 and in the part 4' of the cylindrical chamber will rise and therefore the pressure increases on that side of the piston 8 which is turned to the chamber part 4'. Because of the mutual relationship of the cross sectional area of the piston 8 and the valve unit 5, increase of pressure in the chamber part4 will displace the piston and its piston rod 7 so that the valve unit leaves the valve seat 6 and then a connection between the inlet channel 2 and the channel 12 wild be established. The displacement of the parts 5,7,8 is limited by the butting of the valve unit against the end wall of the valve chamber 3 and therefore the piston 8 will never be displaced so far that it closes the inlet to the channel 12. From the channel 12 the air under pressure streams to the nozzle 13 and the venturi nozzle 14 and thereby a suction is generated in the suction channel 15 and also in the container 16 so that in said container a decreased air pressure of about half the normal atmospheric pressure is obtained. Therefore, a suction in the spout of the nozzle 18 is obtained which can be utilized for removing small particles and transporting them to the container 16 where the filter 17 prevents said particles to be transported further into the suction channel 15. By means of the suctioning spout 18 it is thus possible to remove small particles of any kind from places which otherwise would be difficult to get access to.

The suction is continued as long as the opening 11 is closed because in that position the air pressure on the piston 8 will keep the valve 5 in an open position but when the opening 1 l is open, the pressure in the chamber 4' will again be decreased and the pressure on the other side of the piston will be unchanged and, therefore, said pressure will displace the valve 5 into the closing position against the valve seat 6. Thereby, the supply of air under pressure to the channel 12 will cease and the suction will come to an end. The valve 5 remains in the closing position against the valve seat until the outlet opening 11 is again closed, so that the process just described is repeated.

All the air channels shown in FIG. 1 and the parts therein having the reference numerals 2-15 are arranged within an integral member 20 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, said member being preferably cylindrical and made of light metal such as aluminium and removably connected to the container 16, which is preferably made of a transparent material such as transparent plastic. From the longitudinal section through the member 20 illustrated in FIG. 2 it is evident that said member has a bore 21 in the bottom of which the ejector nozzle 13 is formed while a separate venturi nozzle 14 is pressed into the bore 21.

The suction device according to the invention is formed as an easily operable suction tool as shown in FIG. 3 which can be used in places which are difficult to get access to. Further, the particles removed by suction will be well collected in the container and can be taken care of when needed. Further, said particles are visible in the container so that it is evident when the container needs emptying. The air pressure required for the suction action of the tool is frequently easily accessible and it makes it possible to obtain a powerful suction. The controlling of said suction is easy and reliable. The tool according to the invention can also be used instead of a pair of pinchers for picking up and keeping small components, such as resistors and capacitors and the like, when such components are mounted in, for example, electronic devices of all kinds. The tool is also usable for removing liquid particles.

I claim:

1. A suction device, comprising:

a container having a suction nozzle opening into one end, and fluid conduit means opening into the end opposite the suction nozzle;

ejector means located in said conduit means, and in communication with said nozzle;

valve means located in said conduit means; an opening located in said conduit means said valve means being responsive to the closing of said opening to effect a flow of air from a source of air under pressure to said ejector means, thereby creating a suction at said suction nozzle.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the valve means includes a valve adjustable by a piston, which is movable on a rod under the influence of a difference in air pressures; the conduit means including a branch conduit in which said opening is located; the piston and valve being located in a common chamber in which the air pressure is substantially uniform while said valve is open; said branch conduit being connected to said chamber on one side of said piston, and air pressure is supplied to the piston on said one side through said branch conduit, and on the other side of the piston through the valve, said device including a throttle in the branch conduit upstream of the opening.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which said conduit means, ejector means, and valve means are all located in a generally cylindrical member, said container being removably attached to one end of said member.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 in which said member has an axial bore provided in the end opposite said container, said ejector means including a nozzle, the ejector nozzle being positioned within the bore and a venturi nozzle provided in the bore.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 in which said container includes a filter preferably of sintered bronze positioned between the suction nozzle and fluid conduit means. 

1. A suction device, comprising: a container having a suction nozzle opening into one end, and fluid conduit means opening into the end opposite the suction nozzle; ejector means located in said conduit means, and in communication with said nozzle; valve means located in said conduit means; an opening located in said conduit means said valve means being responsive to the closing of said opening to effect a flow of air from a source of air under pressure to said ejector means, thereby creating a suction at said suction nozzle.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which the valve means includes a valve adjustable by a piston, which is movable on a rod under the influence of a difference in air pressures; the conduit means including a branch conduit in which said opening is located; the piston and valve being located in a common chamber in which the air pressure is substantially uniform while said valve is open; said branch conduit being connected to said chamber on one side of said piston, and air pressure is supplied to the piston on said one side through said branch conduit, and on the other side of the piston through the valve, said device including a throttle in the branch conduit upstream of the opening.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 2 in which said conduit means, ejector means, and valve means are all located in a generally cylindrical member, said container being removably attached to one end of said member.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 3 in which said member has an axial bore provided in the end opposite said container, said ejector means including a nozzle, the ejector nozzle being positioned within the bore and a venturi nozzle provided in the bore.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 4 in which said container includes a filter preferably of sintered bronze positioned between the suction nozzle and fluid conduit means. 